Film No. 75. CHUCK CHUCK BABY (Palace Aust. British Film Festival) (2024). 8th Nov.

 

Film No. 75  (2024)  November 8th.  4:00 PM  PALACE Raine Sq, Cinema 3, Perth City.

"Women like us live by the clock. We serve every day, serving someone." (Gwen, Helen's confidant tells it how it is, in her small town world).

WINNER: Breakthrough Award (Janice Pugh) BAFTA (2024). WINNER: Best Feature/Television Award (2024). BAFTA.

How many feel good feature films have used the Cinderella blueprint as the foundation for wooing an audience? Lots, with maybe PRETTY WOMAN the standard bearer. CHUCK CHUCK BABY (CCB) is the latest addition.

Helen (Louise Brealey) had never left this little, narrow minded, working class, Welsh seaside town. She was trapped. And if you think Cinderella was trapped, Helen's lot has a dead-end quality about it, with a capital D. Consider the fact that she lives in her ex mother in laws home, with her ex-husband and his pregnant girlfriend. Between work shifts, Helen cares for her mother in law, who is  terminally ill, she is also Helen's mentor and friend. Complicated, yeah? Then Joanne (Annabel Scholey), comes to town. She and Helen have chemistry. Their slow burn, reignition of past hankerings is the fuel for CCB.

In a slightly unconventional way (including musical interludes), we know what we are getting here. Cinderella story - a bit of a giveaway really. But Brealey and Scholey have a great look together. It's their film.  8GUMS.